In Vrndavana, December 6, 2011, we observed the 12th annual recitation of the celebrated Sanskrit verses of the entire Bhagavad Gita as it Is in our temple courtyard with more than 500 avid devotees and guests, while thousands of others passed through getting the benefit too. There were people packed into the courtyard, up the steps and even spilling into the temple mandap darshan area chanting all together in intense concentration from Gitas written in a variety of languages of India and the rest of the world.
The expert leaders of each chapter moved us enthusiastically through the whole Gita in a little over 2 hours, although in the past it usually took nearly 3 when using individuals for each chapter. The first year, H.H. Radha Raman Swami did it on his own in only 1 ½ hours, and, as we know, Krishna urgently passed this message to Arjuna in only 45 minutes. We recommend that other temples try out this wonderful event once a year to add to the spirit and the ecstasy of the occasion.
This year we had a wonderful team of Indian and international devotees, both men and women from every department in the temple, a few Prabhupada disciples and children of other Prabhupada disciples, Sanskrit teachers and their students: Ramakanta das, Brajeshwara Pran das, Madan Gopal das, Gauramani devi dasi (daughter of Vrndavaneshwari devi dasi and Vishvambara das), Shyama (son of Radha Kund devi dasi and Jasomatinandan das, following in the footsteps of his sisters Bhavi and Kishori who did it in the past), Mukunda Datta das, Manjari devi dasi, Narendra Krishna das, Krishna Kirtan devi dasi, Matsya Avatara das, Narayani devi dasi, Krishna Balarama das, Balarama das, Nityananda das, Raja Shekara Gopal das, Balarama Krpa das, Satyavati devi dasi and Prasanta devi dasi.
By the time we finished the verses and the Gita Mahatmya, every chanter was absolutely convinced that to remember this conversation is unquestionably thrilling at every moment. It was the nectar for which we are all anxious and a wonderful community event. We distributed some Ekadasi fruit salad prasad and in the evening finished our day with our usual Gita class with what turned out to be the very last verse of the Gita, which is the first time this has happened in 12 years! Kesi Damana requested the honor of giving the class as his astrological birthday happens to be on the Moksada Ekadasi.
The temple book distribution that day surpassed 3000 books including more than 2000 Gitas predominantly from Laxmana and Radhakund mataji's parties, though the men did better than ever that day too beyond a doubt. It takes you back to the days when every day was a great day to distribute books, not just the Christmas season, and every day was a great day to hear a Bhagavad Gita class! Sri Krishna vijayate!
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